Fred Chartrand/APMartin Brodeur is hit by Senators captain Daniel Alfredsson as Jay Pandolfo enters the play during the third period Thursday night in Ottawa.

He played a total of eight shifts in the game, but Devils rookie Pierre-Luc Letourneau-Leblond was thrilled with his first game back in the NHL since Dec. 10.

"That was fun," he said. "Great game. Exciting. A back and forth game. You can't fall asleep for too long."

Letourneau-Leblond, recalled from Lowell (AHL), skated at left wing with Brian Rolston and David Clarkson. He fought Ottawa's Jesse Winchester in the first period. Few punches were landed and the bout ended with the Devils winger landing on his opponent.

"He brings that energy level," coach Brent Sutter said. "That line was pretty effective. Rolie was able to get a big goal."

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Patrik Elias had little to say after returning to the Devils' lineup. He missed the previous four games with tightness in his leg.

How'd he feel?

"Good," Elias said.

Did he feel the effects of the layoff?

"Timing-wise and maybe hand-wise with the puck," he said. "Otherwise..."

He also downplayed the Devils' first 50-win season.

"You have the overtimes now," Elias pointed out. "It's a little different. It's big, but you have to take that into consideration a little bit."

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Brian Gionta, who scored his 20th goal of the season, almost had a second with 3:54 left in the third period. He couldn't get it past Ottawa goalie Alex Auld.

"I poked it. It hit him in the shoulder and I tried to hit it out of the air," Gionta said. "The other guy got it first."

Still, he reached the 20-goal mark.

"It's always nice to hit that number," he said.

Linemate Dainius Zubrus was dressing nearby and said, "It's because he has a great center."

To which Gionta replied: "He should win the Selke for shutting me down."

Zubrus just laughed. "I'm the only center who shadows his own linemate."

Teammate Jamie Langenbrunner has one game left to hit the 30 plateau for the first time in his NHL career. He has 29.